Artist Bios

Review

This was a great performance by both vocalists, filled with some of the greatest jazz vocals that Los Angeles has to offer. Performing both together as well as individually, Sara and Sachal really brought a variety of styles and influences to the show, offering a mix between The Great American Songbook as well as more contemporary, non-jazz songs.

It was clear from the beginning of the show that Sara has a voice for jazz, and she let that show as she performed songs from her last 2 albums Yours (2005) and Return To You (2008). And while it was great to hear that her music covers many different areas of jazz, the one thing that most impressive was her rendition of The Beatles’ “Blackbird”, really emphasizing that her influences spread out to many other styles of music.

Overall, she lights up the stage, involving the crowd, and just having a good time. This was very notable by the audience, as they couldn’t help but get into the mood as well. Even during instrumental solos, you could find her walking around the stage and dancing, almost as if to be having a silent dialog with the other band members. It made for a very relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere, and it was such a good feeling to be entertained by such a great vocalist and, at the same time, having it feel like a small and intimate jam session.

Sachal also did his share of engaging with the audience, looking to the audience for “call and response”. He is clearly very talented, displaying a great vocal range and excellent control. While his selections ranged from different styles and influences, most of his songs had at least one section that was slower or more quiet. As any performing musician knows (vocalist or instrumentalist), these instances can be the most difficult, as control must be harnessed and sustained over a period of time, often leaving one to be exposed. He didn’t wavier at all when it came to this, demonstrating great control and showing the confidence of a experienced jazz singer.

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Highlights & Schedule

• Thursday’s Grand Opening Night will feature a stunning tribute to Frank Sinatra with the Patrick Williams’ Orchestra conducted by Terry Woodson, in SINATRLAND. Said one reviewer of the “10-star tribute to the Chairman” album- “If you like a well-disciplined big band sound, you gotta hear the Sinatraland Orchestra. You’ll love it!” Closing the evening will be a big band tribute to Benny Goodman with clarinet virtuoso- Ken Peplowski!

• Friday evening will kick off with Ken Peplowski, Gilbert Castellanos, Bill Cunliffe, Paul Keller and Lewis Nash in swinging set of the Great American Songbook, followed by the legendary Jimmy & Tootie Heath quartet featuring Cunliffe and Bob Magnusson. Jackie Ryan and the Tamir Hendelman Trio will follow and closing this second great night of straight ahead jazz will be famed drummer Jeff Hamilton and his Trio which features Tamir Hendelman and Christoph Luty!

• Saturday night will open with one of the most recorded drummers in jazz- Lewis Nash and his Friends, followed by trumpeter and vocalist Byron Stripling who will be joined by Dan Barrett, Paul Keller, Jeff Hamilton and Bill Cunliffe. Marlena Shaw and the Bill Cunliffe Trio will be next and closing the evening will be the Holly Hofmann Quartet with Strings in a tribute to Duke Ellington! Holly will feature Mike Wofford on piano, Christoph Luty on bass and Jeff Hamilton on drums, along with special guest- Byron Stripling.

• Sunday Evening will start by featuring one of the hottest young guitar players on today’s jazz scene- Graham Dechter who will be joined by veterans Jeff Hamilton, John Clayton and Tamir Hendelman. And continuing with
some comedy relief will be Dave Frishberg who is certain to perform many of his classic hits including “Peel Me a Grape”. Byron Stripling and Marlena Shaw will team up for the first time and bringing the weekend to a swinging
close will be the renowned Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.

More Info

Details

Tickets are now available for the complete four night, three-day package including one Jazz Brunch. Prices are $350/375. Individual reserved seats are priced at $65/$70 for evening performances and $40/50 for the Grand Opening Sessions, $30 each for “Friday, Saturday & Sunday By the Pool” and $50 for each Jazz Brunch. For tickets to the 10th Annual Newport Beach Jazz Party, call the Jazzline at 949.759.5003 or for complete artist appearance times and an order form visit our website at newportbeachjazzparty.com.

Those wishing to have a weekend getaway may also enjoy the Marriott Newport Beach Hotel & Spa special rate of $154 per night for a standard room, $164 for Pool/Music View, $174 for Ocean Music View and $179 for Concierge. For hotel reservations call Marriott at 949.640.4000 and ask for the Newport Beach Jazz Party rate.

Free self-parking will also be available for attendees.

The Newport Beach Marriott
900 Newport Center Dr.
Newport Beach, CA
newportbeachjazzparty.com

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More Info

The Group

These amazing musicians, all members of the new Tonight Show Band with Conan O’Brien, are sure to wow the captive and enthralled audience with their energized and exuberant show. The Jerry Vivino Quartet – featuring Jerry Vivino (sax, flute, and vocals), Mike Merritt (bass), James Wormworth (drums), and Scotty Healy (piano) – are not only among the most talented musicians in the scene today, but are also considered the most entertaining.

It wasn’t too long ago the Jerry Vivino got his first gig out in L.A., and it was also at Vitello’s for the Red Carpet Jazz Series. They received rave reviews from various sources, including the LA Jazz Scene, commenting that “they put on one hell of a show, not to be missed.”

What better way to bring in the new year than with a spectacular group of musicians who just love to play together. Join in the fun at Vitello’s on New Years Eve.

Performance Details

Thursday, December 31st, 2009
(7:00pm, 10:00pm)

The Jerry Vivino Quartet
w/ Mike Merritt, James Wormworth & Scott Healy

Sets:
Early show $50 includes Italian buffet or pre-fixe menu. Late show $75 includes dancy party, Italian buffet, party favors and champagne toast. All are members of the Tonight Show Band.
Reservations are Recommended.

Location:
Vitello’s Jazz Upstairs
4349 Tujunga Ave.
Studio City, CA
(818) 769-0905
http://www.vitellosrestaurant.com

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Artist Info

Kyrgyzstan prodigy Eldar Djangirov took an interest in the piano at age three, began serious studies while still in elementary school, catching the ear of Dr. Billy Taylor at 11. After appearing with Taylor on CBS Sunday Morning, Eldar and his family relocated to Kansas City where he could pursue his interest in jazz through studies with local musicians and at Interlochen.

Still in his early teens, he went on to win top prizes at the 2001 Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival and the 2002 Peter Nero Piano Competition; in 2004 he appeared on Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz, her youngest guest ever (at the time).

Following two well-received independent releases (Handprints, 2003 and Eldar, 2005), Eldar signed with Sony Classical in 2004, releasing another Eldar featuring John Patitucci and Michael Brecker. Next came Live at the Blue Note with Roy Hargrove and Chris Botti, earning four stars from Downbeat and the review, “Few musicians on any axe swing like Eldar…his groove is intense and overwhelming. It’s not the flash and fire that should stir interest in Eldar. It’s what he does when the razzle-dazzle dies down and we sense substance within and beyond his pyrotechnics.” The New York Times also noted his “formidable technique wedded to a mature grasp of musical structure.”

In 2008, his third Sony release, Re-Imagination, received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Album, topped for the award by Herbie Hancock’s River. Here Eldar moved away from strictly acoustic arrangements with electronics and the programming of DJ Logic. Noted Paula Edelstein (JazzUSA.com), “With the release of Re-imagination… jazz pianist Eldar documents his transition from youthful prodigy to a creative artist with something to say.”

Performance Details

October 29th – 31st (8:00 pm, 10:00 pm)
November 1st (7:30 pm, 9:30 pm)

$18-$25, depending on day and time (get tickets)

Catalina Bar & Grill
6725 West Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood California 90028
Phone: (323) 466-2210
www.catalinajazzclub.com

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Artist Info

Francisco Aguabella is a recipient of awards such as the National Heritage Fellowship of the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and received a fellowship for the Durfee Foundation. He was featured in the documentary, “Sworn to the Drum” by Les Blank, and is currently featured in a new documentary, “Aguabella,” currently in production. He also has appeared on the Orlando Jones Show on FX.

Francisco is widely recognized as a master conguero, a caring and knowledgeable instructor, and one of the most inspiring artists of all time. He is Adjunct Assistant Professor and directs the Afro-Cuban Music Ensemble at UCLA. For more information and audio samples, visit his site.

Performance Details:

Steamers Jazz Club & Cafe
138 W. Commonwealth
Fullerton, CA
(714) 871-8800
www.steamerscafe.com

Reservations are highly recommended. You can make them by calling:
(714) 871-8800.

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Artist Background:

Ferrell Sanders was renamed “Pharoah” by Sun Ra when he joined Ra’s Arkestra. Then Sanders joined the cadre of avant-garde saxophone pioneers of the time: Coltrane, Albert Ayler, Archie Shepp. Pharoah Sanders possesses an instantly identifiable tone that is thick and harmonically rich and heavy with overtones- a sound that can be as aggressive and raspy as Peter Brotzman. Coltrane’s later style was strongly influenced by Sanders.

Sanders first really captured the publics attention while playing with expressionistic and wide-open free jazz in John Coltrane’s late ensembles of the mid-’60s. Sanders’ later music has become more lyrical and soulful while continuing to explore new harmonic terrain.

Pharoah Sanders formed his first group in 1963, with pianist John Hicks (with whom he would continue to play off-and-on into the ’90s), bassist Wilbur Ware, and drummer Billy Higgins. His first record as a leader was in 1964 for the ESP label. The group played an engagement at New York’s Village Gate, where John Coltrane heard him and by 1965, Sanders was playing regularly with the Coltrane group. Strength was a necessity in that band, and as Coltrane realized, Sanders had it in abundance.

In the decades after his first recordings with Coltrane, Sanders developed the capability of playing convincingly in a variety of contexts, from free to mainstream, and as a mature artist he has discovered a hard-edged lyricism that has served him well.

Location:
Catalina Bar & Grill
6725 West Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood California 90028
(323) 466-2210
www.catalinajazzclub.com

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“I’m interested in cross-pollination of music of various cultures,” Hancock said Monday. “And I would like to see more interaction between visuals and music. Ballet or some sort of pop-oriented kind of dance interacting with jazz, visuals done with computer graphics or film segments with jazz, or a mixture of jazz and other genres.”

Hancock, who won Grammys in 2008 for album of the year and best contemporary jazz album for “River: The Joni Letters” (a tribute to his longtime friend Joni Mitchell), has been known for pulling from different musical and art forms.

He is working on a new album, which also takes from different cultures. He describes it as capturing “peace through global collaboration.” The album pairs artists such as Chaka Khan with Ravi Shankar’s daughter Anoushka Shankar and Tracy Chapman with West African singer Oumou Sangare. Other musicians to be featured on the album include Jeff Beck and Dave Matthews. The album is set to come out some time in 2010.

“Our same language is our commonality as human beings,” Hancock said. “What I think about now is purpose. I didn’t think about purpose years ago. It was `write this tune.’ Now I think about what do people need, what does humanity need, what can I do to help in my way.” Hancock attributes his outlook to chanting three hours a day and practicing Buddhism. It helps him to discover himself, he said, and reach out to others. “I don’t want to lock myself into a box, a comfort zone,” Hancock said. “I want to spread this out throughout the globe, and make a record not just for American audiences.”

More Info at www.laphil.com and www.herbiehancock.com

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Harmonically rich and heavy with overtones, Sanders’ sound can be as raw and abrasive as it is possible for a saxophonist to produce. Yet, Sanders is highly regarded to the point of reverence by a great many jazz fans.

Ticket & Performance Information

Artist Information:

Pharoah Sanders formed his first group in 1963, with pianist John Hicks (with whom he would continue to play off-and-on into the ’90s), bassist Wilbur Ware, and drummer Billy Higgins. His first record as a leader was in 1964 for the ESP label. The group played an engagement at New York’s Village Gate, where John Coltrane heard him and by 1965, Sanders was playing regularly with the Coltrane group. Strength was a necessity in that band, and as Coltrane realized, Sanders had it in abundance.

Ferrell Sanders, renamed “Pharoah” by Sun Ra when he joined Ra’s Arkestra, possesses an instantly identifiable tone that is thick and harmonically rich and heavy with overtones- a sound that can be as aggressive and raspy as Peter Brotzman. John Coltrane’s later style was strongly influenced by Sanders. Sanders first really captured the publics attention while playing with expressionistic and wide-open free jazz in John Coltrane’s late ensembles of the mid-’60s. Sanders’ later music has become more lyrical and soulful while continuing to explore new harmonic terrain.

Throughout most of the 60s and 70s, Sanders spent most of his time in the studio, releasing album after album. He was maturing as standout jazz performer and saxophonist by this time, working with many of the big names at the time, including notables like Norman Connors, Cecil McBee, Stanley Clark, Sedatrius Brown, Joe Bonner, and Kylo Kylo.

Sanders has developed the capability of playing convincingly in a variety of contexts, from free to mainstream, and as a mature artist he has discovered a hard-edged lyricism that has served him well. Be sure to mark your calendars for one of these performances – you won’t be disappointed!

Location:
Catalina Bar & Grill
6725 West Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood California 90028
(323) 466-2210
www.catalinajazzclub.com

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In addition to his many recordings with Ray Brown, Jeff has been on nearly 200 recordings with artists such as Natalie Cole, Diana Krall, Milt Jackson, Rosemary Clooney, Barbara Streisand, Mel Torme, John Pizzarelli, Benny Carter, Lalo Schifrin, George Shearing, Dr. John, Clark Terry, Gene Harris, Toshiko Akioshi, Scott Hamilton, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Keely Smith, Bill Holman, Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel and Mark Murphy.

Jeff is a frequent guest of the WDR Big Band in Cologne, Germany. He also appeared in Natalie Cole’s Great Performances PBS special, Unforgettable and an Oscar Peterson documentary, Life In The Key Of Oscar. His trio, whose new CD Symbiosis is set for a September 12th, also features pianist Tamir Hendelman and bassist Christoph Luty.

(Hamilton Live At Steamers)

Artist Information:

Originality is what versatile drummer Jeff Hamilton brings to the groups he performs with and is one of the reasons why he is constantly in demand, whether he is recording or performing with his trio, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, the Clayton Brothers or co-leading the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.

Jeff’s recording, It’s Hamilton Time (Lake Street Records), received enormous airplay while reaching #5 on the Gavin national jazz radio chart. His trio’s second release, Jeff Hamilton Trio Live! (MONS) was nominated by critics for best jazz recording in Germany in 1997. The trio’s second MONS release is entitled Hands On. Hamilton House / Live At Steamers (MONS) is the trio’s 2000 release. As well as recording and performing throughout the world, Jeff also teaches, arranges and composes.

Location:
Steamers Jazz Club & Cafe
138 W. Commonwealth
Fullerton, CA
(714) 871-8800
jazz@steamersjazz.com

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Details:

When: July 4, 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Where: Vision Theatre back lot, 3341 W. 43rd Pl., Los Angeles
Cost: Free
Sponsor: City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs & Council District 8
Info: (213) 202-5500, www.culturela.org

About The Venue:

Vision Theatre, also known as Leimert Theatre, is a large neighborhood movie palace. This 1931 Spanish-tinged Deco wonder has retained its importance to the community for 70 years since the theater first opened. After showing first run films for decades, the theater was renamed the Watchtower in the 1980’s, when the Leimert was converted into a Jehovah’s Witness chapel.

Actress Marla Gibbs purchased the theater in 1990 and renamed it The Vision Theatre. The theater fell on hard times after the 1992 riots and the economic recession which hit this area of Los Angeles.
The bank foreclosed on the property in 1997 and the city took it over. The theater was later converted into a performing arts center. Today, the theater is in the midst of a multi-year, $11 million renovation and fundraising campaign.

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